Plum Creek Timber Co., the nation’s largest private land owner, said
yesterday it will no longer pursue changes to agreements with the U.S.
Forest Service concerning the paving of logging roads in Montana.
The company cited the "lack of receptivity" by the public, as the primary reason.
The company’s closed-door deal
made with the Forest Service last August caused an outcry from
environmentalists and Montana residents, who feared the paving of roads
would lead to the development of housing subdivisions in remote Plum
Creek-owned forests.
The arrangement was viewed by many as a sweetheart deal for the
company, in part, because Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Rey–who
oversees the Forest Service–is a former lobbyist for the timber
industry.
Read the full Associated Press coverage at the link below.
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